Organised Sound: An International Journal of Music and Technology

Call for submissions

Volume 16, Number 1
Issue thematic title: Denis Smalley: his influence on the theory and practice of electroacoustic music
Date of Publication: April 2011
Publishers: Cambridge University Press
 
Issue co-ordinator: Andrew Lewis (a.p.lewis@bangor.ac.uk)

Denis Smalley is one of Britain’s foremost exponents of acousmatic music, and a voice of international influence in both music and words. In marking his 65th year (2011), this issue aims to re-evaluate and extend the ideas and issues raised Denis Smalley’s music and writings, to develop their connections with the work of others, and the UK. It will focus especially, but not exclusively, on theoretical writings such as ‘Spectromorphology and Structuring Processes’ (1986), ‘Defining Timbre – Refining Timbre’ (1994), ‘Space-Form and the Acousmatic Image’ (2007), and on the influence of Smalley’s musical output. New analyses will be welcomed, especially those which seek to apply or evaluate Smalley’s theoretical ideas through analysis of his music or that of other composers or the development of future analytical tools. Naturally, there will be a focus on acousmatic music, although music with live instruments will not be excluded since it also features in Smalley’s output.
 
Questions of relevance include:
• What are the common threads or themes in what has been written by or about Denis Smalley, and how do these related to his music?
• What is the significance of ‘spectropmorphology’ and ‘spatiomorphology’ to creative practice today, and what are the practical implications of spectromorphological thinking for composition and analysis?
• In what ways does Denis Smalley’s music illustrate or support ideas articulated in his writings? Does the writing inform the composition or is it the other way around?
• How might Smalley’s theoretical ideas be further developed?
• How do Denis Smalley’s typologies connect with other typologies? What is the role and value of ‘typologies’ in electroacoustic music generally? Is it possible to identify trends that might lead to a typological ‘theory of everything’, or is such a thing impossible?
• Is Smalley’s musical style part of a definable ‘bigger picture’? Does it stand alone or reside within a network of influences and connections? If so, are these national, idealogical, temporal, personal…?
 • Smalley is considered to be an acousmatic composer despite the fact that some of his works involve live instruments or voices. What then is acousmatic music, and what implications does this have for others working with live performers or interactive electronics?
 
As always, submissions related to the theme are encouraged; however, those that fall outside the scope of this theme are always welcome.
 
Deadline for submissions is 15 June 2010. Submissions may consist of papers, with optional supporting short compositions or excerpts, audio-visual documentation of performances and/or other aspects related to your submission that can be placed onto a DVD and the CUP website for “Organised Sound”.  Supporting audio and audio-visual material will be presented as part of the journal’s annual DVD-ROM which will appear with issue 16/3 as well on the journal’s website.

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SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 15 June 2010
 
SUBMISSION FORMAT
 
Notes for Contributors and further details can be obtained from the inside back cover of published issues of Organised Sound or at the following url:
 
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayMoreInfo?jid=OSO&type=ifc (and download the pdf)
 
Properly formatted email submissions and general queries should be sent to: os@dmu.ac.uk <mailto:os@dmu.ac.uk>  (not to the guest editor)
 
Hard copy of articles (7,000 words maximum) and images (only when requested) and other material (e.g., sound and audio-visual files, etc. – normally max. 15’ sound files or 8’ movie files) should be submitted to:
 
              Prof. Leigh Landy
              Organised Sound
              Clephan Building
              De Montfort University
              Leicester LE1 9BH, UK.
 
Editor: Leigh Landy
Associate Editors: Ross Kirk and Richard Orton
Regional Editors: Joel Chadabe, Kenneth Fields, Eduardo Miranda, Jøran Rudi, Barry Truax, Ian Whalley, David Worrall
International Editorial Board: Marc Battier, Hannah Bosma, Alessandro Cipriani, Simon Emmerson, Rajmil Fischman, David Howard, Rosemary Mountain, Tony Myatt, Jean-Claude Risset, Francis Rumsey, Margaret Schedel, Mary Simoni
 
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